Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

Which unique identifier’s use is considered controversial under HIPAA?

1. Provider ID.

2. Patient ID (SSN).

3. Employer ID.

4. Health Plan ID.

The correct answer is: Patient ID (SSN).

The use of the Patient ID, specifically related to Social Security Numbers (SSNs), is considered controversial under HIPAA due to privacy and security concerns. The inclusion of SSNs as a unique identifier raises significant risks of identity theft and fraud. Because SSNs are easily obtainable and can be used to access various personal information about an individual, their use in healthcare settings can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive health information. HIPAA aims to protect patient privacy and confidentiality, and relying on SSNs as identifiers can undermine those goals. In response to these concerns, there has been a movement towards using unique patient identifiers that do not rely on Social Security Numbers, helping to enhance the protection of patient information and reduce the potential for identity theft. Other identifiers, like Provider IDs, Employer IDs, and Health Plan IDs, while they have their own considerations, are not viewed with the same level of controversy since they do not carry the same inherent risks of compromising an individual's personal identity as SSNs do.